Objectives: In previous casecontrol studies obesity, but not diabetes, has been associated with acute and recurrent bacterial non-necrotizing cellulitis. We evaluated the role of diabetes as a risk factor for recurrent cellulitis in a retrospective casecontrol study.

Methods: A questionnaire and a consent form were sent to all those who, according to National Health Insurance Institution, had in year 2000 received reimbursement for benzathine penicillin, indicated for prevention of cellulitis. Medical records were obtained from the respective care providers to confirm the diagnosis of cellulitis. Based on the questionnaire the following variables were recorded: age, sex, height, weight and diabetic status (all types). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg) divided by square of height (m).

Control population consisted of 8005 Finnish subjects, aged 30 years or over, participating in Health 2000 Health Examination Survey, a national population based health survey, carried out in years 20002001 by the former Finnish National Public Health Institute (KTL). This survey consists of a randomly drawn, nationally representative sample of the Finnish population. Data regarding the corresponding variables mentioned above were derived from the database. A logistic regression analysis (method enter) was performed using STATA software.

Results: Of 960 subjects contacted, 487 (50%) returned a consent and filled in a questionnaire. Recurrent cellulitis could be ascertained from the medical records of 398 patients of which 235 (59%) were female. The median age of the patients was 65 years (range 2292). The mean BMI was 31.5 and 32.5 for male and female patients, respectively, and 32.1 for the whole patient population, compared to 26.9 for controls. Of the patients and controls 20.6% and 6.1% were diabetic, respectively. The multivariate analysis of risk factors is presented in table.

Conclusion: In the present study, comprising large patient and control populations, diabetes proved to be a risk factor for recurrent cellulitis, independently of obesity and age. The incidence of bacterial cellulitis has been suggested to be growing. Increasing prevalence of obesity and adult type diabetes along with increasing longevity may contribute to this.

Table. Multivariate analysis of risk factors for recurrent cellulitis in 398 patients and 8005 control subjects

Risk factor

OR

95% CI

Sex

1.19

0.951.49

Age

1.05

1.041.06

Body mass index

1.17

1.141.19

Diabetes

1.69

1.262.27

Session Details

Date:

10/04/2010

Time:

00:00-00:00

Session name:

Abstracts 20th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases